The present invention relates to a flexible transport system having a mobile support unit for transferring textile yarn packages between textile machines.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,961 to Kasahara et al discloses an apparatus for transporting discrete groups of yarn packages supported on trays with the trays being transported between a tray loading location and a textile machine by a mobile unit. A lift mechanism is provided for transferring the trays from the mobile unit to a transport path extending along the textile machine which is at a different vertical level than the trays on the mobile unit. The apparatus disclosed in this patent is operable to discharge all of the trays supported on the mobile unit and, following the discharge of the last tray, to load other trays onto the mobile unit for transport of the trays away from the loading site. For example, the mobile unit can transport a plurality of trays each supporting a plurality of full yarn packages to a textile draw twisting machine and, following the discharge of all of the trays supporting the full yarn packages, other trays, each supporting a group of empty tubes, can be loaded onto the mobile unit for transport away from the draw twisting machine. However, this prior art machine does not flexibly provide the capability to unload trays from the mobile unit while contemporaneously loading other trays onto the mobile unit and, thus, this prior art device does not fully optimize the loading and unloading processes for the operation of a mobile-type textile yarn package transport unit. Accordingly, the need still exists for a mobile transport system which optimizes the loading and unloading processes in which tube support members with empty tubes or yarn packages thereon are loaded onto, and unloaded from, a textile machine.